Eradication
by therapist
Summary: Set after Day of Reckoning II. A world without Professor Xavier is proving to be very difficult. The remaining X-Men struggle to survive against a world that hates them. Chapter 6 is up and running!
1. Zion Pt 1

DISCLAIMER: Now here's our favorite dyslexic Jedi out there….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Saturation

By mariko_chan

Rated M for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong it's done to them?

************************************************************************************

Zion Part 1

He inhaled deeply, savoring the air as it invaded his lungs. After many months of smelling stagnant air, even this polluted sludge smelt like heaven. Moisture in the air, notified him of the on coming rain. The looming black clouds far off to the north flashed ominously. Lightning flashed, illuminating the sky. The storm reflected his dark mood.

_All the years, all the efforts and yet, I never felt like how it feels right now._ It was true. All his previous plans have always felt, to him at least, to be failures, doomed before even taking place. However, today, he can taste victory.

His hair fluttered slightly with the breeze. He remained unmoving as he stared at the ruins of his once home. The house was in disrepair. Thrown rocks broken all of the windows. Spray paint graffiti covered most of his walls. Yet, he could not be happier.

He was back home. And he would make the world once again remember his name.

XXXXX

Pietro quietly dressed, pulling on his civvies. Leaning over, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. It wasn't out of affection, merely a ritual he performed after every love session.

He couldn't recall her name and as soon as he'd step out of the house he'd forget how she looked like, how she smelled, every detail making her another faceless woman; another notch on his belt. Despite not remembering much about her, he would always remember her cries of passion. Her oral proclamation only solidified his position of being a love master.

Now thinking about it, he should have recorded that and kept it just in case he ever saw that cocky Cajun again.

He quickly gathered his clothes and belongings from the room. Giving the room a once over, he fled into the night. Staying for the night was something he never did; it gave them false hope. He was a man, he never wanted more than sex and staying longer could only cause trouble. Waiting until his lover or lovers fall asleep, he'd make his way home once they succumbed.

The night was warm, moisture thick in the air. Immediately stepping out the door, his body tensed. _Something's not right._ The air, the silence, the atmosphere was just wrong. He strained his ears, trying to pick up any sound in the dead night. _There's nothing there_. His statement felt forced and he didn't believe himself. Shaking his head, trying to calm his nerves, chastising him mind for being paranoid.

He took off, yet, as he ran in the black night, his paranoia never ebbed; instead, it swelled, making his head reel. His body slowed down, coming to a halt in the middle of the street. As he came to a stop, he noticed the unsettling silence; it suffocated him. He scanned, turning his head wildly, his eyes squinting in the darkly lit street. It looked like he was the only one here on the road, yet his nervousness did not leave him.

He gave a squeal as the streetlight closest to him went out. Heart beating madly in his chest, he meekly called out, "Hello?"

The only response was a groan. He knew that sound, he knew it well. It's been a while since he heard it though, but his mind could forget the groan of metal.

That same streetlight gave a whine before snapping violently in half. Sparks illuminated the semi-darkened street and he could make out the broken half of the pole heading for him. Instinct guided his body to the side, dodging the metal spear. His body rolled into a lawn, the grass cushioning his fall. Adrenaline coursed through his body. He rose quickly, still seeking his invisible enemy. The night was still, devoid of crashing, screaming, any sort of chaos. He yelped as the pole slammed, creating a crater in the soft ground. He rolled away and rose to his feet. The pole dislodged from the ground, dirt dripping from the end.

_What the hell is going on? Where is that bastard hiding?_

He had no time to ponder that question, the pole was heading toward him and soon it was only a foot away from his face. Pietro narrowly avoided the floating dangerous weapon. It swung madly at him as if some invisible jolly giant baseball player thought he was a baseball, he dodging gracefully every time.

_At this rate, I'll be out of energy before even finding that asshole._

He knew he was right, he could already feel his energy levels slowly dropping. Who knew how much time he had left? There was only one decision to make.

He made a break for it. He could hear the metal as it cut through the air, chasing him. He pushed his body to go faster and everything became a blur around him. Yet, as he sped up, so did the pole. It's been weeks, no months, since he used his powers this strenuously. He could feel his clothes ripping and his shoes heating up. He could also feel the fatigue start to build up and his muscles burned with effort.

He turned his head; looking, hoping that he wasn't being chased anymore. Murphy's Law stated that everything that could go wrong would go wrong. It was a fabulous time to kick in. If he were to have waited one second before looking behind, he would have noticed that rock that lay directly in his path. However, of course, life had a cruel sense of humor and today Pietro would feel its effects. As his head rotated to its farthest, his right foot connected with the rock. Everything slowed down as pain flooded his foot; he definitely broke something. He could imagine how comical he looked, as if he was a long jumper going for the world record. However, there was no sand to buffer him. He could only wince in pain as he dived for the concrete, it winking at him. The concrete grated against his face and for a split second, he wondered if this was the end for him before darkness took over him.

XXXXX

He groaned as pain filled his mind and body. Every joint throbbed and screamed in protest as he shifted slightly. A slight whimper left his lips. It felt like someone crumpled his body into a ball and decided to play basketball with it.

He braved an eye open. Through the darkness, light peeled into his retina as His left eye opened slightly. The harsh white light blinded him, making him wince. _Where the hell was he? And more importantly, where the hell was his goddamn nurse?_ There was no nurse waiting for him, with the sweet liquid of numbness. Straining his eye, he could make out a drip attached to his arm; one table in the corner opposite of him, and behind him stood the door. Ah, there was his escape. He tried to get his other eye open but it wouldn't listen to him. Okay, he didn't need that eye anyway, and he ordered his body to move.

"I wouldn't do that," a new voice suggested. Then in his view came the loveliest woman he'd ever lay eyes on. _Gods, she's gorgeous,_ he thought as his eyes raked over her body. She sashayed into the room, her tight body gracefully making its way to him. His heart pounded in his ears as her sweet perfume wafted through the room. She smiled sweetly at him, sticking something into his drip at the same time.

"You're left eye is swollen shut, you have a major concussion, two broken ribs, a rather nasty face grating or laceration and a broken toe," she informed him. As he processed this information, warmth seeped into every pore of his body, easing his pain. He grinned idiotically at his savior.

He tried to ask for her name but all he managed was a croak. The girl smirked and she leaned closer to him; Sweet Buddha, her cleavage was practically in his face. God what he would give to have an extra limb, he'd be a freak but at least he'll be a freak fondling the sweetest pair of breasts on the planet.

Her warm breath warmed his face as her face inched ever so closer to his. "If you behave, I might give you a reward," she whispered suggestively. He licked his lips. Jesus, he wanted to take her right now, on the ground, his injuries be damned.

Her smirk grew as if she knew what was going through his mind. He wondered…

A gasp escaped from her lush red lips, making him smirk at her. "So, telepath, where's my father?" he asked, humorously. Slightly angry at himself and at the world, he eyed down the sexy telepath. She returned his glare with a pout.

"You're no fun," she whined. "You're much smarter than the others."

He kept his face neutral and threw up his shields, just as his father had taught him. It was probably all for naught, but it made him feel better that she would have to make an effort to get into his mind.

"Emma, stop teasing my son." His father, that bastard, waltzed in the room and stepped beside his whore; a low growl informed him that Emma didn't enjoy the label he'd bestowed upon her. Though strapped down to the bed, he still managed to flick them off.

Magneto ignored his gesture, his face stoic as he gazed over at him. Rage bubbled deep inside his chest, searing him, suffocating him. Pietro opened his mouth, and then closed it, his fury preventing him from speaking. Millions of words, mostly curses, ran through his head, but it seemed that his mind and mouth were not working together.

"I have formed a new team and I'd like you to be on my team."

Pietro fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was disgusted with himself, for getting his hopes up and for the disappointment he felt. _What did you expect? A fatherly hug and questions of your well being? Stop wishing for your father to change; he will always be what he is, a calculating machine._

A sad sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't help it; a boy could dream, right? Covering his misery with a sneer, he croaked, "What? No hug dad? No grand tale of where you've been all this time and why the hell you've decided to came back into my life?" the last part he spat.

"It's not important where I've been," he replied, waving his hands as if they were trivial questions, "what's important is that I'm here for you son."

Laughter erupted from his mouth, sharp and mirthless. "You're _here_ for me?" he couldn't believe his father. "So when you attempted to murder me with that bloody pole, that was you, being _there_ for me?"

His father gave him a cold smile. "I'm sorry about the injuries you sustained son, but it was necessary that I retrieved you."

That did it; he blew up. "You could have asked _dad_." Magneto looked thoughtful as if it never came to mind, which only fueled his rage. "You could have killed me! Did you even think of that?!"

"If I wanted to kill you, _son,_ I would have done it already," his voice even. Pietro hated him right there, even more than before. His father was a picture of coolness, never giving into his emotions, something he himself struggled with. Emma cleared her throat, official ending the staring contest between them.

She smiled brightly at him; he snarled at her. "Pietro, this is Emma and she'll be taking care of you." His scowl deepened and Emma glowed.

His father remained still, looking at him over the bridge of his nose. His cool gaze never left his and he could feel the old, familiar fear of him start to rise. He finally averted his gaze, cursing his fear of his father.

"My offer is still on the table son," he said as he was retreating. Pietro told him what he could do with that offer. Magneto stopped by the doorway, his face giving away his internal struggle. Fixing him with a severe glare, Pietro shrunk back into his pillow.

"Goddamnit!" he cursed, scrunching his blanket into his fist. He just wanted to get out of here, why couldn't his father see that.

XXXXX

His recovery took longer than expected. True, most of it was his fault; sitting still was not his forte. His sanity slowly slipped away with each ticking of the clock. Time seemed to have slow to a crawl just for him, driving him to the brink of madness. There was no sound in this place, as if all life ceased to exist in these walls. He tried vainly to listen for noise, yelling on the top of his lungs every time he thought he heard something. Yet, no one answered his call.

His wrists were free from the chains, allowing him some movement; yet, his legs remained cuffed to the bed. Emma came in, breaking him out of his musings. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she hid something behind her hands.

"Left or right?" she sang. He glared at her and stayed silent. "Come on," she whined, rocking on the balls of her feet, "pick a side."

His recovery was much more painful than what it should have been because of her. Some days she was nice, staying silent and just giving him his damn pills. Most of the days, she made it her personal mission to make his life hell; taunting him, berating him to the point of depression, giving him blue balls, the works. Now, she seemed to have taken to play little games with him everyday.

"Left," he snorted. She brought her left hand from hiding and opened her hand, revealing nothing. Of course, he always lost at these games.

"Aw, looks like I won again. Guess I just have natural luck," her voice sickly sweet. It was a contest now, to see who he hated more, her or his father; his father's winning, but by a very narrow margin.

He made a swipe for the pills and she dodged him, as always. Snarling he shouted, "Just give me my damn pills and fuck off." She pouted as he started to swear at her.

"Don't be like that. You know, if you'd been a good boy, you would've been out of here already." She dangled his pills in his face. He made a grab and she pulled them inches from his reach. He groaned as he strained to reach the pills, every time his fingertips touched them; she lifted them just out of his grasp. He slumped back and she took to swinging the bag in front of his face. He watched the pendulum, his anger bubbling inside of him. His fingers gripped his sheets and twisted them in effort to curb his anger.

"What's wrong Pietro?" she cooed. If you keep beating a dog, it'll eventually bite back one day. Today, he was biting back.

His arm lashed out, knocking the pills about. A gasp left those pretty lips before he silenced her as his gripped her neck tightly. He felt oddly calm. Yanking her closer so they touched noses, her breath wheezed onto his face. Fear danced in her eyes and he crowed with triumph internally. Voices in his mind were telling, commanding him to let her go; his anger drowned them out.

"I'm tired of your fucking games, Emma," he spat, "from now on every time you come in here, just give me my damn pills and get the fuck out, you here. Or do I have to teach you a lesson?" his voice hard, he squeezed her throat tighter. Her eyes bugged and her skin took on a bluish tinge.

Despite his hold, she managed to shake her head. Reeling his empty fist back, he watched gleefully as she began to struggle earnestly. His arm swished through the air, connecting solidly with her cheek. She flew into the wall and crumpled into a heap. Coughing, her hands kneaded her tender neck as blood poured from her mouth; broken pieces of teeth came out with her spit. Then the shaking started, first her body, then the entire room.

"Die!" she screamed. Intense pain filled his head. His hands flew to cradle his head and he heard a strangle cry spew from his lips. Unbelievable pressure filled in head, making him think his head would explode. He heard screaming and soon found out the screams were coming from him. Thousands of knives stabbed his brain making tears spring from his eyes.

Voices were screaming in his head, screaming for him to stop. He just wanted them to stop. He screamed to god hoping he would kill him, let the pain end.

His vision started to darken around the edges. Good, whatever higher being up there had decided answered his prayers and the pain would stop soon. His door opened but before he could see who have come, darkness claimed him.

XXXXX

His first conscious thought was that he was dead this time. Seconds after consciousness, pain racked his body. A meek moan left his lips as every muscle, nerve, and cell burned. Sweat slicked his skin and he wished death would come to him.

"Son," his voice carried a hint of concern, "do you wish for the pain to stop?"

Despite his pain, he managed a sneer. "Whaddya think?" he asked sarcastically. He slowly opened his eyes, then immediately regretted it. The walls loomed closer to him; panic seized him. He tried to move yet his body didn't respond to his commands. The walls edged in slowly, a foot away from him. He could hear his heartbeat in his chest and he could feel his stomach starting to turn.

"Please make it stop," he wept. He glanced at his father, who stood next to him. His stoic father remained unmoving as the walls pressed against him. _Why weren't the walls crushing him?_

"What will you do for me?"

He was dying and his father wanted to make deals. God, the pain was so bad and he could feel the walls pressing against his arms.

"I'll do anything, just make it stop!" he sobbed.

Magneto gave a slight nod and Emma, still bearing bruises on her neck and left cheek, walked in with a syringe. She injected it into his I.V. A warm, glow entered his body spreading rapidly to every part. The pain stop and the walls were no longer moving. A smile graced his lips; he didn't know why he wanted to die. He felt so good now, happy even.

Emma came next to him and something in her eyes had changed. No longer bright and mischievous, they bore into his, cold and calculated.

"Pietro, I do not take oaths lightly," Magneto's voice resonated in the room. Pietro tore his eyes away from hers to look at his father. "It's not like before, now when you plead allegiance with me, it's to the death."

Pietro shook his head. His head was fuzzy and he had a hard time focusing on his father and even harder time listening to what he was saying. "I don't know what you're taking about."

"Before I had let my underlings get away with many things but not anymore. You gave me your word, Emma here will make sure you will always keep it."

His gaze shifted back to her. All warmth, friendliness was gone from her face. She was a replica of his father, stone cold. "That's right, Pietro. I'll be right there to watch you," her voice icy, "one toe out of line, that's all I need."

Her words filled him with dread. What kind of devil's contract did he sign?

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Well, there's one chapter down, only…um, yeah, I'm not going to lie, I don't even know how many are left. It's been years since I have posted anything, due to lack of confidence and an extreme case of writers block. But now I'm back and I'm ready to delivery. I love reviews and criticism. So, don't be afraid to give it to me. Yeah, go ahead, push that button, make my day!

AN (1/29/08) Hi guys, I'm back to writing (yay!) but before I submit any new chapters I must edit the ones already out. So, please continue to be patient and thank you all who have reviewed in the past and to my future reviewers, domo arigato!


	2. Zion Pt 2

DISCLAIMER: Now here's our favorite dyslexic Jedi out there….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Saturation

Rated R for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong they've done to them?

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**Zion Part 2**

**By therapist**

Jean watched as Scott scanned over his notes, newspaper, reports, and god knows what else. She remained unmoved as light slowly left the room, except a tiny flickering candle perched on the desk.

She wished that she could go over to him, comfort him and support him. It has been a year since they have spoken, verbally or mentally.

He erected a barrier around him that she could not even touch. No words would comfort him. No matter if she yelled, begged, or cried, he would not be swayed. His answer was always silence. He severed their connection and shielded his thoughts from her.

She knew he took all responsibility on himself. The disappearance was his fault, despite what they all say.

She played with the ring on her finger, a nervous habit she picked up last year. Remembering the day clearly, she often replayed the scene in her mind…

_It was the three-month anniversary to the exposure; they had a solemn dinner like all the previous months. Only tonight, he seemed more subdued. After asking him the third time to pass the salt, she asked what was on his mind. _

_He didn't answer; instead, he rose from the dinner table and offered his to her. Taking his hand, he led her outside. Fifteen minutes later, they were alone, surrounded by the wilderness. They had a brief moment of peace, something they didn't get to have often._

_He dropped to a knee and sighed audibly. She didn't know what he was doing, and concern for him clearly shone on her face. Taking a deep breath, he clasped one of her delicate hands._

"_Jean, you know I love you, yes?" he paused, watching a she nodded slowly. "I realize that this isn't the most romantic place but being here with you, I don't need anyone or anything else. And who knows how long we have to be together? I don't know but I do know that I want to spend the rest of that time with you."_

_Finally dawning on her, she uncharacteristically stuttered, "W-what?"_

"_Jean Madelyn Grey, will you spend the rest of this short life with me?" he whispered. She could feel the love in his eyes, even though she couldn't see it. Feeling her eyes watering, she nodded reverently, not trusting her voice._

It was the happiest day of her life. Who knew that it would lead to the worst day of her life? She did not know what changed. It happened overnight, one day he loved her, the next day he would not even look at her. It was another day that she replayed often…

"_I don't understand Scott," she cried. Tears flowed freely over her cheeks, yet, his stayed dried._

"_I made a mistake, I can't- don't want to marry you," he replied coldly. Dropping to her knees, her hands painfully gripping her jean clad thighs._

"_Why Scott?" she whispered, the pain overwhelming. Her chest ached so deeply, she felt like she was going to die. _

"_I don't love you anymore," he said, as if reading sport scores. "I had an itch to scratch and now it's sated, I need you no longer." With that, he walked away, leaving her sobbing violently on the floor._

Before she couldn't imagine there was nothing that they couldn't fix. She was clutching onto something that wasn't holding back.

He didn't even want to talk to her. That made heart ached in ways unimaginable.

She once thought she'd wait for him. He could take as long as he must to get over this and she would be there in the end.

After a year, it dawned on her; he wasn't going to get over this.

Why wait for something that was never going to come back to you?

She played with the ring on her right hand. She didn't know why she kept it. Perhaps a small part of her never gave up hope that he would come to senses. Now she could see it was only a broken promise for her broken heart. She yanked off the ring. She walked over to him.

He made no indication that he noticed her. She swallowed back the hurt of his indifference.

"Scott?" Silence was her answer. "I love you, but-" she shook her head, unable to continue. She placed her engagement ring on the edge of the table. She wouldn't cry; nothing could be done about it. All she could do is move on. "Goodbye."

Scott watched as his love walked away. Everything in him screamed for him to call her back. Yet, he remained quiet.

That day he called off the engagement, was the worst day in his life. Three weeks of reoccurring nightmares left him on edge. He lashed out at his teammates, Jean getting the brunt of it. His dreams haunted him, filling every waking second. His mind churned over its meaning repeatedly, yet nothing could quell his racing thoughts.

In each dream, Jean died. Just like that, she was snapped from his arms, just as violently as Professor Xavier was. Pain wracked his body, even though it was a dream, it didn't hurt any less. Waking up, cold sweat covering his body, heart hammering in his chest, the pain didn't fade.

How could he think of marrying Jean in a volatile world such as this one? He couldn't protect her, much less the Professor. He couldn't return her love until he knew that he could protect her from _that_ world out there. His carelessness brought on this tragedy. He would _not _let another person he loved be hurt by the cruelness of that world.

So, he watched with a broken heart as his love left, probably for good. His hand unconsciously reached for the ring.

"I love you too."

XXXXX

Kitty pulled her hoodie tighter as the winds picked up slightly. The dark skies above made her pick up the pace. _Seems like Ororo's in a bad mood tonight_. Lately, though, it seemed like she was in a foul mood every night.

She shook her head in defeat. _Who knows what will happen when tell her that it was another dead end. _She was hesitant about coming back without any new information.

Her initial excitement when Storm announced they were once again going on missions quickly faded as reality set in. Long ago, completing missions was a breeze when fully staffed. With only Scott, Jean, Bobby, Jamie and herself it was a tad bit more complicated. Not to mention that the entire world seemed to be hunting after them, so they had to use utmost discretion as well.

Her latest mission, the one she was coming back from, was information gathering. Should be simple, she bragged, showing off in front of a seething Bobby. She later found out that people did not really want to talk about mutants. It was like having a pedophile uncle, everyone knew about it yet nobody ever spoke about it.

Trudging down her old neighborhood, she could hear Bobby teasing her already. However, being back in Bayville brought her out of her funk. Glancing at the familiar stores filled her with nostalgia. Stopping in front of a thrift store, her chest clenched painfully.

Rogue had dragged her in there, hoping to get a dress for the Sadie Hawkins dance. There was hardly a moment when she was not thinking of her best friend. Between her and Lance, she thought of nothing else.

_Rogue, I'm sorry…_

A drop touched her cheek as her own tears flowed down her cheeks. Heavy drops quickly came down masking her tears. Kitty ran blindly as the rain soaked her thoroughly. Seeing she was near the supermarket, she quickly ran inside. As wiped the water from her face, she notice the sudden silence. No workers were calling over the P.A. system, no kids crying or people bustling around, just absolute silence.

She braved a look. Twenty pairs of eyes met hers and she froze on the spot. Some looked fearful while others held her with contempt.

"Uh miss," a worker uttered. She looked at the young teen, and he flinched slightly as her gaze met his. He didn't say anything else, instead pointed to something to her left.

There in bold ugly black letters, a sign that read 'NO MUTANTS'. Her stomach dropped and she swallowed hard. Right next to that sign, several pictures were posted and she saw her face up there. It has been a year since the exposure; she thought that they were over their fear. Now she saw that she was wrong, reading the sign repeatedly.

She felt…hurt. Before the exposure, she had been coming here ever since she was at the Institution. She bought all of her food here. Mr. Herbert, the owner, made special orders for her. Yet, she could not deny what she was seeing.

The hurt quickly turned to anger. _How could they! We have done so much for them and this is how they repay us?_ Mr. Herbert was Xavier's friend for years, how could he do this? She sought out the owner. She caught his gaze but the friendliness was devoid from his eyes. Hatred and disgust took its place.

"Get out here, you mutie!" a man yelled. He pelted a soda toward her. The soda sailed, grazing her cheek. Her emotions were running wild; she couldn't believe this was happening. She was shocked, flabbergasted. She looked around, hoping to find some sanity among this mess.

Something solid connected with her forehead. She yelped in pain, a soup can this time. Before she could comprehend what was happening, a torrent of objects pelted her. Pain flooded wherever the objects connected. Blood dripped into her eye, snapping her out of her daze. She quickly activated her power. Their inability to hurt her more only fueled their anger. Their cruel words hurt her more than anything else did.

Objects continued to sail through her and she gazed sadly at the angry mob. She sprinted out, phasing through the door. Their angry yells could still be heard as she sprinted away from the store.

She ran blindly, the rain and her tears obscuring her vision. Her pain made her run wildly.

"Oof." She connected into a brick wall knocking her to her butt. The rain let up but she was already soaked to the bone. A pair of arms lifted her up and into a hug.

Not caring, she sank into the embrace, sobbing into the shirt. She cried out all her hurt, anger and pain. The person didn't seem to mind, in fact, he or she began to rub her back.

"It'll be okay, my kitty cat," a familiar voice soothed. That voice! She tore herself away.

"Lance!" She shook her head in disbelief. _Today is not my day! _She slowly started to back away. Pain flashed in his eyes when he saw her backing up.

"Don't run away," his voice came out unnaturally soft. His eyes raked over her, halting at her face. She touched her forehead; her fingers came back red. "I saw what happened," his voice pained.

Immediately tears clouded her eyes. "How could they Lance?" she whispered.

"Ah-"

"How could they do this to us?" she screamed. She dropped to her knees, sobbing. They weren't alone on the street and people were beginning to stare, but she didn't care; she felt like they were the only ones left on the world. Loneliness filled her every being.

How could she care about anything in this world anymore? This world turned its back on her, ignored what's happening to her and her kind.

She felt arms around, pulling her up into another embrace. She held onto him, clutching his shirt tightly. He tenderly cleaned off the blood oozing from her head.

"I don't know Kitty," he sighed. In the distance, she heard sirens. Ignoring them, she pressed her face into his shirt. "I don't know Kitty," he repeated. "But they're going to pay. Stay here."

Dazed, she numbly let go of his shirt. She watched as he made his way back toward the mart. Realization hit her as he reached the market's entrance just as the first tremor rocked the world. The second shock knocked her back to the ground. Screams and rumbling filled her ears. Then, silence.

She whipped her head toward the market. It was nothing more than rubble now. "Oh my god, those people!" All those people were dead now. _They've brought this on themselves_. Her thoughts shocked her.

Then chaos erupted all around her. People were running, screaming and crying everywhere.

"God, those people!"

"It was him, he did that! I saw him!"

Lance stood stock-still. His back faced her. Cars screeched to a halt and their sirens drowned all the noise. Cops surrounded him, all with their weapons drawn.

She couldn't believe what was happening. Fifteen minutes ago, the world made sense, now all hell has broken loose and she was in the middle.

"All right you scum, lift those arms up, nice and easy."

Lance remained standing, still as death, ignoring the cop.

Kitty quickly hoisted herself up and sprinted toward him. She screamed unintelligently at him. Her fear for him drove her legs to move faster than ever. She could feel the tension in the air. She was scared that he's going to die. _He can't die, that's not how it's supposed to happen!_

She was getting nearer, another minute and she would reach him. He turned slowly and their eyes locked. She could see everything. His pain, anger, fear and love, love for her. He flashed a sad smile before crouching to the ground.

Screams tore out of her as gunshots erupted all around.

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AN: Just fixing a few things. Thanks to all the reviewers out there and please keep them coming, so I know how I'm doing.

therapist


	3. Zion Pt 3

DISCLAIMER: Now here's our favorite dyslexic Jedi out there….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Saturation

Rated R for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong they've done to them?

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Zion Part 3

By therapist

Jamie jumped from his seat as the door forcefully opened. His eyes widened in shock as a bloody Kitty and Ororo carried a pale, shaking, bloody Lance. Leaping up from the couch, he hurriedly went to Ororo's side. Bobby entered the living room, a chilled beer in his hand. Upon seeing them, he dropped his beer in shock.

"What happened?" Bobby yelled. "Is that Alvers? What the hell happened?"

They remained quiet, their faces grim as they carried Lance to the couch. They gingerly placed him down. Ororo quickly ripped open his shirt, grimacing as several of his wounds started to ooze out blood. She rose and ran into her bedroom.

Kitty knelt, seizing Lance's right hand. Bobby and Jamie slowly approached the couch.

"Don't," Kitty whispered, halting their steps. "I don't want you to see this."

"Fuck this!" Bobby came around and immediately grimaced at the sight. Jamie hung back, worriedly glancing at Kitty, who was silently crying. "Man, what the hell happened?"

Ororo reentered the room, carrying medical supplies. She dumped them on the floor.

"Bobby, I need you to take Jamie outside," Ororo ordered, without glancing up.

"What? I wanna help!" Jamie cried. Bobby shouted in protest as well.

"Silence!" she barked, quieting them down instantly. "Mr. Alvers is seriously injured and I need all the concentration I can get, so I need you two to leave, please," she ended softly. Bobby nodded and grabbed Jamie, dragging the young boy out.

Ororo took in a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She grabbed a syringe, she filled it with morphine. Wrapping the catheter around his arm, his veins soon protruded from his skin. As she administered the morphine, his body relaxed and he fell asleep.

"Kitty," she whispered. The young girl looked at her, her eyes full of sorrow. Ororo hoped she wouldn't make that a permanent feature. "I need you to hold him still. Can you do that for me?"

Kitty nodded slightly, her face determined as ever.

XXXXX

Jamie watched as Bobby paced throughout the room. They both jumped as a scream erupted from the other room. Horrid images filled his mind and his dread escalated. What happened to Lance? The screams died down and Bobby resumed pacing.

He got up from the bed and began to pace alongside Bobby. Bobby, for his part, remained unusually silent. He glanced at the door, his face full of concern. Sure, Lance played for the other team but he, and Bobby as well, didn't want him to die.

Jamie couldn't help but think that the human-mutant relationship was about to become more strained. He wasn't stupid. What do you think he did all day now that he couldn't go outside? He researched all about it. He read and watched everything he could get his hands on.

Ever since the Professor's death, his bubble burst. He saw the world for what it was, an ugly existence full of scared people. Scared people were the worst, they were unpredictable and often made stupid decisions. Decisions like the mutant registration act.

He watched it everyday. He never seen a bill pass faster than the MRA, it was quite a feat really.

The Senate discussed the bill, talking about all the pros and none of the cons. Like how it would help them when fighting dangerous mutants like Magneto, thanks a lot Bucket Head. Yes, the dangerous terrorist mutants like Mystique and Sabretooth. Funny, they forgot to mention how the X-Men have fought against them every step of the way. Guess people only see what they want to see.

And how the government could quell, that was the word they used, potentially dangerous mutants that might show up in future generations.

He later looked up the word quell. It means suppress, put down, subdue, crush, repress, defeat. Offspring of mutants, if they even allow us to breed, the government would have the right to "quell" that potentially dangerous mutant, if one of the parents had a lethal power.

Another pro was that all mutants would be marked, as so, the public would know if you're a mutant or a normal human being. Great, they were nothing more than cattle now, sent off to be branded, oh, sorry, "marked". Yeah, he could see how that was totally a positive point.

How the government would know everything going on in their lives, as to guard the safety of the normal human beings. Phone taps, email hacking, everything would be open to their inspection. He bet that if he farted, they would know about it. Probably arrest him on charges of trying to make a bomb out of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane.

That pretty sums up the MRA, no rights for mutant kind. Jamie shook his head, how could the world have gone downhill in just months? How could the Professor be wrong?

Jamie never questioned his faith in Professor Xavier. He reached out to him when his powers were coming up, made him feel like he wasn't alone. And he in turn believed in the dream. The dream became his dream, the reason why he stayed and practiced. He believed in it. Now, he couldn't believe in it anymore. He couldn't believe in people anymore. He lost his faith; it died with Professor Xavier.

The door opening shook him out of his internal musing. Ororo, her dress slightly splattered with blood, entered. She made her way to the bed, her face not giving them any hints, and motioned for them to join her. Jamie sat to her right, Bobby on her left.

"How's Alvers?" Bobby broke the silence.

"Well, I stopped the bleeding. We'll see if he lasts the night," she voice weary. Jamie pushed his arms around her stomach, hugging her.

"What happened to him?" Jamie asked. She looked down at him, hesitation etched in her face. Jamie looked up at her, eyes wide, lower lip trembling. She sighed and patted his head.

"I only tell you because I'm sure you'll find out in your own way. Lance was shot by the police."

"The police! What did he do?" Bobby shouted. "Did he rob a place; I bet that's what it was!"

"No, you got it wrong," Kitty shouted angrily. Standing in the doorway, she scowled at Bobby. "He didn't do anything like that. It's all my fault," she whispered. "I killed him."

"You did nothing of the sort, my child," Ororo soothed.

"But I did! It was because I wasn't strong enough! I couldn't stop him or them," she cried, tears flowing down her face. She looked away. "He was trying to protect me, get revenge for me." With that, she told her tale of what happened at the supermarket, stopping at where they stoned her.

"Those fucking assholes! I'm sorry, Ororo, but I'm not shopping there ever," Bobby howled. He stood up and began to pace again.

"You won't have to," Kitty whispered horrified, "Lance took down the building."

Bobby stopped and turned his wide eyes to Kitty. Jamie also looked at her. He didn't know how to feel. Lives were destroyed today, on both sides, how could he root for his own knowing that many lives were ruined in the process. He felt sick.

"We've got to turn him in," Bobby responded grimly.

"So they can throw him in jail to rot or worse, give him the lethal injection!" Kitty retorted heatedly.

"He is a murderer; we're harboring a fugitive on our couch!"

A crack resonated. Kitty withdrew her hand, silently sobbing. "You don't get it. He did all of that because they hurt me. He was shot; he's dying on that couch for me. And you're asking me to give him back to the people that hurt him?"

Bobby rubbed his cheek, roughly. He closed his eyes and sighed audibly. "I'm sorry Kitty. It's what the X-Men would do."

"Look around Drake, there is no X-Men. Just us mutants fighting against the world that hates us. I swear I will kill you if touch him," she whispered venomously. They locked eyes, her wet yet hard eyes and his dry, tired ones.

"Fine, let him stay. But when the Feds knock on our door and we all get arrested, don't say I didn't say so," he muttered, looking away. He flopped back onto the bed, his arms crossed. A hand caressed his reddening cheek. He looked up.

Kitty smiled at him, loving him right now. She lunged onto him, capturing him in a bear hug. He could barely make out the small thank you amidst the sobs.

XXXXX

Kitty dabbed the handkerchief in the bowl. She rung out the excess water then dabbed Lance's sweaty forehead. He moaned painfully and Kitty contemplated shooting him up with more morphine.

"You'll get sick if you don't sleep child," Ororo's voice broke the darkness. She stepped from the shadows. "Get some rest, I'll take watch."

Kitty turned to her mentor. "Do you think what I said earlier was wrong?" she asked fearfully. She never knew what she was thinking. Ororo smiled warmly at her.

"If that had happened several months ago, I would have sided with Robert. However, the world we live in now is a different world from the one we were living in before. So, no I do not believe you were wrong. I know that the Professor would like us to continue to live his dream of coexistence but I believe that the dream went with him." She smiled sadly. Kitty looked at her, knowing where this conversation was heading.

"So no more X-Men, huh?" Kitty asked sadly. Ororo shook her head.

"The Professor is dead, so with it he takes his X-Men."

XXXXXXXXXX

AN: Again just making some minor changes to the story. Thanks to all the reviewers and please keep 'em coming!


	4. Slaughter Pt 1

DISCLAIMER: Now with a step in from my favorite Jedi….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Saturation

By marikochan

Rated R for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong they've done to them?

To my reviewers:

JCRobin: I love reviews so, I naturally assume that readers like responses to reviews. So, keep 'em coming :) Yes, you will find that I put many twists into my story, it probably won't be the last time you say, "Oh, my God!"

Well, besides the ones you listed the only other two are Jean and Scott are left in the X-Men, I will elaborate later on what happened to the rest of them. And as for getting a beta, I am looking into it, but as of right now I won't have one for several chapters so please forgive my mistakes. (I reread each chapter like twenty times but after a while, ever thing starts to blur and look the same)

I did rush the chapter; glad you pointed it out. (Nothing gets by y'all huh?)

Bomer: Pretty much, as well as Jean and Scott. You'll find about the missing X-Men in later chapters. I know it felt rushed, probably because it was, and hopefully this chapter won't disappoint you. No, I thank you for reviewing.

Arcticbear: no, thank you for the constructive criticism. That's how we grow as writers. I will definitely try to elaborate more on my chapter and not make my scenes too short. Yet, many times, I find that what I write is the essentials for the story and everything else is filler and that's why the scenes are short. Thank you again for pointing this out.

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Slaughter Part 1

Remy scowled as he glanced at the fence. He was a thief, the best thief in the northern United States, heck the world. Yet, now he was a damn recruiter. All of his talent, wasted. He sighed. If that is what ole bucket head assigns, then he will do it, for a price of course.

Now, this fence stood in the way of that. Twenty feet of metal and barbed wire on the top stood between his money and him.

He looked at his address, yes; he was at the right place. He shook his head. Magneto must have something out for him. Every assignment, none of them involving his nimble fingers, always involved great danger. There was that time when he needed to spy on a mutant. He forgot to mention that the mutant was an unbalanced telepath that had a personal vendetta against all men. Man, when he hit on her, the look on her face melted him into a spineless jelly puddle. Then there was that time Mags sent him to that naval base, only to find it abandoned. Amidst that, he discovered that they planned to demolish the base, on that very day, several minutes from when he landed. Then there was that time he needed to kidnap an abused mutant child. When he had the child safely in his arms, Magneto calls to tell him that he had the wrong address. The lynch mob waiting for him did not exactly buy that excuse.

Now that led him here, to a mental institution. Just great, what was next, prison perhaps? He rubbed his chiseled, stubble-covered jaw. With his ridiculous good looks, he would be the belle of the ball. _Perhaps it's time dat bucket head and Remy have a talk. Nobody treats Remy like trash, unless dey have legs going up t' Canada. _

He scanned over the blueprints one last time, his mind memorizing every crook and cranny. Through his reconnaissance, he found that an employee had quit last week and tonight would be the new hire's first night. Todd, the night guard on shift right now, would be walking through those doors any minute.

Somewhere a bell tolled, signaling that it was midnight. The guards were not supposed to leave until their replacements came. Luckily, for Remy, Todd was not a stickler for rules. He crept to the shadow upon hearing the door opening. A middle-aged man stepped forward, ready to go home. He whistled as he trotted down the stairs, not suspecting that he was seconds away from being jumped.

Not a second passed from when the guard reached Remy to when he collapsed to the ground, out cold. Remy quickly dragged him to the bushes, stripping him of his clothes, keys, identification and cash. Donning his new clothes, Remy stepped forth, whistling. _Like child's play_.

The keys made quick work of the gate. He reached the locked door and entered the pin, exactly as Magneto instructed. The door beeped and he pushed it open.

Fifteen minutes was all he had, enough time for him. He walked down the hall and reached the main desk. A young woman looked up from her computer, only to blush as Remy winked at her.

"Are you the new hire?" she giggled. He did not miss her lingering gaze and he felt his smirk grow larger. He in turn, allowed his eyes to roam over her body, not bad, considering the job. Remy nodded and she buzzed him in.

_Now, dis' is what perks are all about. Time fo' me t' earn some French benefits._

"Is your name as beautiful as you are?" he asked, his voice laced with sugar. He locked his gaze with hers, his true eye colors hidden by contacts, and he tapped into his latent power. It has been a while since he used it last.

_De last time was on dat magnificent Rogue. Remy t'ought dat he had her, she didn' attack Remy nor did she protes', no she in fact leaned closer t'Remy. She looked like tres magnifique. De wind made her hair flow around her like a halo and de sun lit her up. In dat split second, Remy's chest filled wit' an emotion dat he never felt in a long time. De last time Remy ever felt anyt'ing like dat was with Bella and dat scared him. Instead of kissing her, which Remy wanted t'do, he gave her his card, de Queen of Hearts._

Three years is a long time to be celibate, a record for him. It was time to break that long streak.

Judging from the blush spreading through her cheeks, he had this one in the bag. She thrust her chest where he could make out her name, drowning in lace and breast. "So, Candy, what did you have in mind?"

Donning a smile that was less than pure, she tilted her head over. To the left, there was a room. Curling her finger, she beckoned him. Who was he to disobey?

Remy could not stop the smile that spread upon his face.

XXXXX

The room was cramped yet, he managed to peel off her clothes without much difficulty. He attacked her lips, reveling in their softness. She mumbled something, his lips muffling her words. Her hands instantly went into his pants. He could not help but smirk at her eagerness. If she wants to go straight to the main course, he was not one to complain. Lifting her to the table, he pressed himself hard against her. A gasp escaped her luscious lips as he ground his erection against her. He knew where to put those pretty lips of hers.

Ten minutes later, he left the cramped room and readjusted his uniform. In his hands, he held the keys to all the rooms. With a little shift of his hips, he got what he needed. Candy crept out a minute later, face flushed and hair tousled. Winking one last time, he left the blushing secretary. With his time cut to less than half, he knew that he'd have to be quick about it. Then again, he always did love the challenge.

He moved quickly, his mind directing him where to turn. Thirty seconds later, he reached his destination. It looked like every other room yet he knew this was the room. Picking random key, he put it into the slot and of course, it was not the key. Twenty seconds later, he tried all of them and threw the useless keys aside. Cursing in French, he began to pace angrily. He knew that it was too easy. Where did he go wrong? He has done everything that he has been told to do and more, yet he was stuck. Perhaps this is another one of Magneto's tricks.

Contemplating on what he should do next, the alarm above him blared angrily suddenly. Damn, he thought he had more time. _To hell wit' being subtle_.

Shouts were coming down the hall as well as the stamping of feet. Any minute now armed guards, ready to send him back to hell, would surround him. There was no way rental cop is taking down the Ragin' Cajun.

"Girly, whoever you are, step away from de door. An' cover yo ears," he yelled. He concentrated and knob lit up with a pink glow. Releasing it, the glow shone brightly still and he leapt into a corner. A loud explosion erupted. Debris showered him and he grunted as some shrapnel nicked his leg.

He quickly rose up and ran past the destroyed wall. The girl was lying unconscious on the ground and did not heed his warning. He lifted and hoisted her over his shoulder; she was unnaturally light.

"Stop right there!" someone from behind him shouted. He heard guns cocking. "Put the girl down and turn around."

"Merde," he mumbled. He did turn around but did not place the girl on the ground. Eyeing down his opponents, relief washed over him seeing that there were only three of them. The two on the left were young, younger than him and shaking in their boots, no challenge there. However, the third guard, the one who spoke, leveled him with a steady gaze. He could take out the other two but he didn't think he could do it before the third got off a shot.

"Homme, do you enjoy cards?" he asked as he slipped his left hand into his pocket. The two young ones looked quizzically at him. Remy's fingers touched his new pack. He grabbed three cards from there. The third guard motioned for him to raise his hands.

He let loose his charged cards. They hit their targets, square in the chest. They went down and Remy tossed the girl top his right. With his hand digging into his pocket, he thought he heard a shot going off in midst of all the chaos. He rolled quickly to the left and a barrage of cards rained upon his enemies.

He stood and dusted himself off. He went over to the girl, who despite all the commotion, had not waken up.

"Fille, you are definitely a lot more trouble den you're worth."

He bent over and saw something pooled under her. _It couldn't be_. He touched the liquid and pulled his fingers back. It was blood. The guards weren't aiming for him; they were aiming for her.

XXXXX

He peered over his disciples, their faces etching deep into his mind. Their numbers grew rapidly within the week, nearly tripling. He would soon have to find a more suitable place to house them. The new faces looked at him eagerly, while his old-timers lazed around.

He cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. He tossed his files on the table, startling most. His files stretched over the length of the table. He motioned for them to look over it; he had already memorized all the content beforehand.

"The pictures you are seeing are highly classified. Only top-level officials, and us now, know the existence of these pictures. Take a good, hard look and tell me what you discover."

Several moments of silence passed before someone spoke up. He motioned for the young man to stand and to come next to him.

"Proteus, come and tell us what you see in these photos."

"The bodies in these photos are all mutants," he remarked. Everyone did a double take and glanced at their photos again. Proteus smirked at their confusion.

Magneto gazed at the young man, impressed. He never expected someone to get it right away. This young man has potential.

"These photos were taken this week," Magneto stated his voice grave. The reaction was varied yet, most were outraged as he was.

"How can that be? I have not seen anything about it on the news," Colossus interjected. The others nodded in consent.

"This is the work of the government. They have been covering up everything that has been happening this week. That despicable mutant act is going through Senate now and they decided to keep these suppressed until that law passed."

"There's got to be over twenty bodies, how could they keep this under wraps?" Jason asked.

He shook his head; offering no answer, nothing could answer for these atrocities. Slamming his fists on the countertop, he steadily eyed his loyal followers. "This is why Xavier's dream of co-existence will never come to pass. We belong up there, at the apex, ruling the world."

Cheers erupted all around, deafening him. He allowed a brief smile before silencing them with a wave of a hand.

"Now your first order of business is to recruit what's left of the Brotherhood and after that we'll go after the X-Men."

XXXXXXXXXX

Phew! Man, sorry this chapter took so long. With so many events happening and coming up within the next month (my birthday is in a couple of days) I'll probably have the next chapter out within a week or two.

Next chapter: The Acolytes go recruit the BH and then go after the X-Men.


	5. Slaughter Pt 2

DISCLAIMER: Now with a step in from my favorite Jedi….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Saturation

Rated R for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong they've done to them?

AN: Much apologies for the long wait. My cousins and their friends came over for vacation for three weeks and I was absolutely swamped! But they went home and I'm going to be getting chapters out their more frequently. ALSO, this is now being beta read by the wonderful Shadowfax999, thank you for your suggestions and patience! Now here are my shout outs:

Christina: Yay, a new reviewer! Thank you very much for the compliment and sorry for the long wait in between chapters. Hopefully this one would be just as great as the last one!

Delphine: You are awesome! Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated. ß Psst, she's awesome!

Arcticbear: It's okay, your constructive criticism makes me a better writer! I don't think it's fair that the good guys always have such a kickass team while the bad guys are left with the leftovers. So, this is my way of balancing it. and because you're so awesome your prize is…longer scenes! Yay!

Bomer: I love Remy, though I do hate trying to do his accent. I won't even attempt French in my fanfics cause I'd probably butcher the language! I know some people are saying that not all Cajun people speak French BUT I met a Cajun dude once and he did speak French! Thanks for the bday wishes.

..: Yay, I'm so glad you like this story. It lifts up my spirits knowing that I'm not the only one! I am working on extending my scenes and I hope it shows in this chapter. Oh, don't worry Rogue will be making her appearance soon. Thanks for the compliment again and I hope you leave another review!

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**Slaughter Part 2**

**By therapist**

"Yo, is anyone home?" Todd yelled as he entered their house. He scoffed at that notion, house. A house is where a person can come home to happiness and security; he felt none of this whenever he comes home. Especially when they captured Freddy, the house may have more food yet it lost some of its sunshine.

_It's been over a year and I still have not gotten over it. I wonder if he is okay, wherever he is._

Hope, it still rested within him, small yet everlasting. He would never give up on him, because Freddy would never give up on him. Losing his best friend had been hard. His face no longer carried that good-natured humor as before, instead looked melancholy and haunted. And haunted he was. Sleep was a blessing that did not come too often for him yet when it did nightmares preoccupied his sleep.

Freddy; rotting away in chains, their eyes locking together, his captured friend accusing him, blaming him for his incarceration and the death which could not come quickly enough. Night after night he came, first pleading to find him then steadily growing more hostile. Now he dreads falling asleep, it no longer rested him; in fact, it did quite the opposite. It has been weeks since he had any decent rest, his insomnia driving him to madness. Day by day he lived, wondering whether today was the day that he would finally take the last steps to end his miserable existence. His thoughts disgusted him. He was not raised a quitter, but as a crude sense of desperation began growing in his haunted being, it seemed like the only option.

He glanced outside the window, trying to shake his dark thoughts, and noticed Lance's jeep missing. It was not unusual for Lance to disappear for long periods yet he usually left a message for him. He combed the usual areas, looking for any sort of note. Slightly confused when he did not find, he simply dismissed it as forgetfulness.

He hopped over the fridge only to remember that he ate the last of the food this morning. Closing his eyes, he prayed to any higher being whose existence he was fighting to believe in, to fill his fridge with food. He swung it open and was instantly disappointed. Heading back to the living room, stomach growling, a wave of dizziness hit him. Scurrying over to the couch, he plopped himself on it. Suddenly exhausted he could not battle the sleep that was coming.

"_Why Todd? Why didn't you come for me?" Fred cried. He lay on a table, bound and barely clad. _

_He silently glared at the illuminant ceiling. The door swished open, making him drag his gaze away. A doctor entered, most of his face obscured by a surgical mask. He breezed over to Fred's side. He watched Freddy's eyes widen as he came into view. _

"_How's my favorite subject today?" he crooned. His voice sent chills running along his spine. The man's voice held a promise of pain and it held no warmth. Freddy remained silent, his wide eyes looking everywhere but at that man._

_The doctor moved away and over to his tools. He slowly played with each instrument, purposely showing Freddy each wicked object. Freddy's breath sped up and a slight whimper escaped his lips. The doctor picked his instrument, a bloodied saw; its teeth jagged and sharp looking. He swaggered to Freddy's side, letting him eye out his equipment._

"_Now, where is Magneto?" the doctor asked. A few tears escaped from his eyes as he looked, pleadingly at the doctor. "You still remain stubborn as ever, perhaps this will loosen your lips."_

_Fred struggled earnestly against his bonds, yet he could not break free of them. He watched in horror as the saw descended until it touched his pale sweaty skin. The pain was indescribable, he could only scream as the teeth spliced his skin open. Blood squirted everywhere, splashing the doctor and him. Fire burned his body as his nerves were lit on fire. He screamed until his voice gave out, yet his mouth never closed. He squirmed, making the saw swivel and turn his skin into mush. He could feel the life drain out of him as the blood flowed freely from his wounds. Numbness soon overtook his body and he welcomed it, perhaps death would come to him this time. The doctor continued his sawing until he nearly severed his leg. He stopped before the flesh disconnected. Satisfied with his handiwork, he gazed upon his masterpiece. He was impressed with the boy's resilience but he would soon break. He noticed how pale the subject was becoming and he went over to the intercom._

"_Send in experiment 3300," he barked. The door opened and in stepped another one of his experiments. Every inch of his skin was covered, even his face, covered by a metal mask. Only his breathing could be heard, which escaped through the porcupine holes littered all over his mask. _

_Freddy paid him no heed, his mind going numb along with his body. He welcomed death, it was better than living in this hell. _

_The doctor shoved the masked man over to Freddy, who became deathly pale. The man stumbled forward, almost falling yet he did not retaliate in any sort of way. He obediently went over, standing on the right side of the bed. The doctor nodded. The masked man placed his hands above the lethal wound and he began to chant quietly. Words echoed in the room, elegant and soothing. He did not know what the person was saying, yet he could feel his body relaxing. The pain ebbed and the darkness faded. _

"_What'd ya do to me?" Freddy whispered. The masked man removed his hand, revealing smooth skin. "No…" he cried. His wound was gone; death would have to wait another day. _

"_Good job, now leave," the doctor barked. Freddy glared at the masked man as he left, rage preventing him from saying anything. The masked man ignored his stare and left._

"_Don't pout pet," he whispered, his eyes shinning with madness, "just tell me where Magneto is and this will end." He brought out another instrument, a sponge connected to jumper cables. His eyes followed the lines, which were connected, to a massive machine. "Oh, that little thing will allow me to control the voltage," he stated, noticing where his eyes focused on. Humming filled the room as he switched on his "toy"._

"_I already told you, I don't know where he is!" he cried, his voice laced with panic. With that healer on standby, this game would go on forever. "Please, I really don't know! If I did, I would have told you long ago."_

_The doctor shook his head, a sad sigh leaving his lips. "It's a known fact that mutant are liars," he replied, apologetically and shoved the sponge onto his leg. He could not describe the pain. Sharp jabbing needles stabbed his every pore. He wanted to scream, thrash about, but his body remained rigid. Finally, the doctor pulled away. Tears erupted from his eyes._

"_Why are you doing this?" he wept. He could smell his burning flesh._

"_Because you are a mutant," he answered._

Todd didn't scream when he arose, his mouth was too dry to make any noise. Instead, all he could hear was the thudding of his heart and the pitter-patter of rain. The scent of flesh clung to his nose and he wildly looked around, his eyes seeking Freddy's body. But it was just a dream. The smell didn't fade as time passed nor did his heartbeat. The vision of a charred Freddy danced in his mind and his mind shattered. He couldn't' do this anymore; it was too much.

XXXXX

"Attention Wal-Mart customers, there's been a mutant sighting here in our store. The management would like all customers to leave in an orderly manner. Thank you for shopping with us and please come again."

People looked at each other, wondering if they that message correctly. Then the screaming began. The mob mentality took over and soon everyone followed suit. Cries of terror erupted as the lights flickered. Stamping feet rushed the exit, rationality forgotten.

Todd reveled in the chaos surrounding him. Munching on an apple, he laughed at the terrified looks he received.

"Yummy," he remarked as he finished off the succulent fruit. He chucked the core at a child, huddled by the produce. It hit him square on his forehead, breaking him out of his petrified state. Todd watched as the boy made for the exit.

The lights above him turned off then the back up generators turned on. The lights dimly returned and he noticed that he was alone. _Alone again… just like the good ol' times_. That made him depressed. Why did everyone always leave him?

Hopping down the aisles, his feet echoed in the empty store. _Wait, that's not my feet making that sound_.

"There he is!" one officer shouted as he spotted him. Todd leapt up, his mind a flurry of panic. Gunshots rang in the silent store as officers opened fire upon him.

"What happened to surrendering first?" Todd shouted as he leapt from shelve to shelve. In the movies, the officers always gave the bad guys one last chance to give up before pumping them full of lead.

He landed in an empty aisle, crouched, ready to leap at the first sign of trouble.

"Come out freak! You can't escape better give up while you can," one shouted. Todd crept away from the voice, which came from his left.

And right into the lion's lair. Twenty SWAT members stopped mid-conversation and gazed at the wide-eyed creature.

Todd spat upon the men, covering most with green glob. Cries of disgust arose as most tried to wipe off the gelatinous spit. Distracted, they could not guard against his tongue as he whipped it around in a circular motion. Those who survived the tongue lashing quickly received a harsh kick to the head.

Less than a minute had passed and Todd stood above their unconscious bodies, his heart pounding and his head held high. Placing one foot on top the pile, he laughed. His laughter reverberated, masking the footsteps of one lone officer.

A gunshot interrupted his laughing. Pain racked his chest and he gazed down. A pinprick appeared on his t-shirt. He watched in amazement as it rapidly grew, spreading to his entire front side. Touching the warm liquid, his mind still dazed and unbelieving. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor. Watching his blood, his life seep out of his body, he couldn't help but weep bitterly.

XXXXX

Magneto stepped out of his metal sphere, confident. No one paid heed to them, despite their odd appearance. Camera crews, police officers and spectators were too busy focusing on the crisis happening in front of them. Emma stepped to his left, while Pietro took his right side. Gambit slithered to Emma's side, earning a disgusted look from the telepath. Proteus hung behind them, conversing quietly with Mastermind.

He watched with disgust as they dragged a bleeding Todd, laced in handcuffs. Even his feet were chained, making it hard for the bleeding mutant to walk. No paramedics rushed forward, instead more police crowded around him.

"You see, this is the treatment that you would suffer," he remarked, nodding to Todd. Todd yelled in pain as one officer yanked him forward when the mutant began to stumble. "That's why we must do what we must do. Pyro, light the sky!"

The fire starter gleefully flicked his Zippo open. Lighting a fire, the flame danced in his hand. Pyro threw a fireball at the nearest cop car, instantly setting it ablaze. A massive explosion rocked the earth. Magneto's shield blocked them from the shrapnel, but others were not as lucky. Soon all eyes were upon them, the world silent except for the roar of the fire.

"Fire!" someone shouted. Bullets ricocheted harmlessly upon their force field. The SWAT advanced upon them; the Billy sticks out, while the police officers covered them.

"Proteus, Colossus and Emma, take care of the officers. Gambit and Pyro handle the SWAT. Son, go get your friend."

Quicksilver frowned at his father before zooming off. Magneto stood behind, watching his protégés in their first battle. Gambit threw his charged cards, scattering the SWAT members. Bringing out his Bo staff, he charged them.

Pyro's trill caught his attention and he turned to watch him. The fire starter had set every car ablaze, his maniacal laughter barely audible over the roar of the fire. Fire stallions galloped trampled over SWAT officers. They scattered all over, shouting in pain as their suits melted. Pyro collapsed in a fit of laughter, reveling in the chaos. His stallions continued to wreak havoc, their feet burning everything it touched.

Emma meanwhile was having a field day controlling several of the officers. Right now she had them singing and dancing to the theme of Dirty Dancing. It was quite entertaining.

_This is far too simple_. Emma had most of the officers dancing the tango and Pyro took out the entire SWAT. Pietro returned with a bleeding Todd in his arms. Todd gazed at him, his eyes glazed over and his face pale and sweaty. Pietro dumped him on the ground, earning a hard look from him. Magneto hovered above his body, sensing for the dangerous metal poisoning his body. Sensing the bullet, he pondered the next course to take.

"Why are you doing this?" Todd wheezed out. He gazed upon his former leader, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"I do not leave my men behind, for each one of you play a vital role in my war."

That remark earned a scoff from the dying mutant. "Pawns are expendable; you exposed us and then abandoned all of us."

"A mistake I will not make again. I can leave you here, if you like," he remarked, his voice cold. Todd looked up, his face impassive. "Or I can give you life again. A life where you do not need to run away from humans; it will be they who run. The choice is yours; I will not force you to join my ranks if you do not want to."

Todd searched his former leader's eyes, seeking truth behind those cold eyes. Magneto's gaze never wavered from his. Todd thought of his current living condition, his life; the choice was easy. He might be screwed over again, but life with Magneto had to be better than the life he was living now. Todd did not nod or give any indication of agreement, but Magneto's saw it in his eyes, he was game.

Emma's scream broke their momentary impasse. He turned in time to see her fall towards the ground. Gambit caught her easily and tossed the unconscious telepath over his shoulders. The officers, now regaining control, began to fire upon them. Gambit dodged to the side, covering Emma's body with his own.

The situation was starting to get out of hand and Magneto felt it was time to step in. Erecting a barrier around all of them, the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the dome. Focusing, he whipped the pathetic firearms from their hands, crushed each into tiny balls, lettingthem fall to the ground, useless.

The officers turned to each other, perplexed and anxious. Magneto smirked at their uselessness. The captain stepped forward, baring his own weapon. Magneto eyed out the machinery, it was unlike any he had ever seen before and that in itself said something. Stretching his hand forward, he raised an eyebrow, as he could not command it. It hummed to life and the captain pulled the trigger. A beam emitted from the nozzle and hit him square in the chest.

Fire spread through his chest and quickly dispersed to the rest of his body. Knees buckling, he knelt to the ground, panic seizing him. This was no primitive weapon. He felt his power fading and something he had not felt in a long time crept into therecesses of his subconscious; fear. Proteus rushed to his aid, scooping him under the arms and lifting him to his feet. The weakness remained but he could stand. Breaking his icy façade, he snarled at the officer. Grunting with effort, he shot his hand out. Wal-Mart groaned with effort as Magneto began to pull down. He could hear everyone's panic shouts as a deep rumbling began.

"It's coming down!"

"No, those people!"

Like music to his ears, it sang sweetly, the building laid in ruins, dust and debris rising thickly into the air. A swarm rushed to the collapsed building, digging through the debris, shouting for survivors. Magneto gazed upon the wreck he caused. His previous anger subsided, yet still bothered him. That weapon _hurt_ him; if he were weaker, he would have not survived that attack.

"Pietro, I need that weapon." A second later, he gazed upon the weaponry in his hands. He might have use for this later.

"I should have known it was you Magneto," a voice spat. Cyclops posed before him, his hand ready on the visor. Jean and Storm landed on each side of Scott. Kitty rose from the ground.

Magneto scoffed at the remains of their ragtag team.

"Your ranks have diminished?" Magneto remarked, "Even when you were fully staffed, you could not defeat me. How do you expect to do that now?" A random pole whacked Scott on the back of his head, knocking him to the floor.Scott jumped up and lunged forward, only to be held back by Jean. He ignored the woman, spouting profanities at the metal master. He looked amusedly at the raging man, not threatened one bit.

"I'm not here to battle you," he professed, "only to offer you a chance to join among my ranks," earning a scoff from the group. "Look at Todd, look at the scene before you."

Their attention turned back to the previous chaos. While majority of the people were trying to clear up the rubble, the TV crew caught the interaction on their camera. The approaching siren warned them of reinforcements.

"We would never join you!" Jean yelled. "You fight against everything we were taught, brought up on. You have no sense of morals, especially when it comes to humans."

Metal spheres landed beside him. "Why do you continue to fight for people who do not want your protection?" he questioned. "They draw their weapons upon you; to them you are the same as I am, a murderer. They judge you, regardless of your actions, based on what you are. How long will you remain blind to the truth Cyclops?"

Clicks sounded off as the reinforcements arrived, their weapons drawn and pointed at the X-Men. Jean could only stare in disbelief as they ordered them to lower to the ground and surrender. She looked for help from the others, the ones that were there to witness what had transpired. All she received were hateful stares and a mindful of venom. The group huddled together, unbelieving what their eyes are seeing.

"I will join you," a small voice answered.

"Kitty!" Jean yelled, horrified. This wasn't supposed to happen, not this way. Kitty broke away from the group and made her way to Magneto's side. She locked eyes with him, her gaze never wavering. She ignored her teammate's cries and did not gaze back at them once.

"I'm doing this for Lance. He won't live without help and there's no way I'm letting him die because of you guys."

Before they could interrupt her, she continued her tirade, the last 24 hours weighing heavily on her, as the young girl seemed to mature before their eyes…

"I've been thinking about the Professor, his teachings, our conversations and I think he was not protecting the world from Magneto. He was protecting us from them!" she cried, pointing to the humans. Kitty's head drooped, her eyes closed. "While I will not give up my morals and his teachings, we need to adapt just as this world is adapting."

Kitty gazed upon her friends, no her family, and a deep sense of regret and sadness filled her. However, she would not be deterred by her emotions.

"I think Magneto has the right idea," she said quietly. Magneto smirked at the shocked group, letting again his emotions show. Kitty turned back to the metal master, her face hard and her eyes ablaze.

"You," she spat out, her finger pointing accusingly, "Just because I think you have a legitimate bright idea, for once, don't get a big head. I am still the pupil of Professor Xavier and I cannot hunt humans for the sport."

Magneto gazed upon his new pupil, his face blank yet he titled his head ever so slightly, agreeing to the contract.

"I will join too, under those agreements," Storm added, stepping forward. Jamie remained silent yet moved instep with Storm. He did not want to join up with Magneto, but he made a vow to obey and follow Ororo faithfully. He hoped she knew what she's doing.

Scott straightened up and extracted himself from Jean's grip. He raised his head and squarely walked over to the metal master's side. The former leader and opponent briefly shook hands, solidifying their own contract. Jean could not believe the scene happening before her. Hateful whispers and pleads from her friends echoed in her head.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she merely shrugged her shoulders and followed in Scott's footstep. She didn't have to send him a message or shake hands with him; her look said it all.

"Are you all fuckin' nuts?" Bobby yelled. He madly shook his head, halting all retorts. "Look, I don't want to hear it. You better be right about this Kitty."

Magneto turned back to the guards, who have during all of that, put away their weapons. "Smart," he remarked. Their entire interaction was caught on film and he hoped his message would reach other mutants.

"Now I only have one last request to make," Kitty added. Magneto raised an eyebrow at this but remained quiet, letting the young woman finish. "We are going to save everyone that was captured when you exposed us."

XXXXXXXXXX

Next chapter: Training day for Magneto's team, see how everyone fairs against him. Leave a review and tell me how I'm doing. I live for reviews!

Peace!


	6. Slaughter Part 3

DISCLAIMER: Now with a step in from my favorite Jedi….Yoda! X-Men belong to me don't. Stan Lee all own.

Rated R for strong language, violence, death, and a little sexual situations thrown in here and there.

Intro: a world without Professor Xavier proved very challenging. Magneto disappeared right after the mutant exposure and now he's back with a new radical plan. Will the X-Men save the world despite all the wrong they've done to them?

AN: I know it's been a while (please don't throw rocks at me) but I do have reasons.

1)I had to move from Washington to Hawaii. I found out about three weeks before I actually had to go and I had to uproot my life, pack it in boxes and send it away.

2)My job sucks (doesn't everyone's?) and it drains all the gooey goodness out of me, leaving the bitchy shell that can't write worth beans.

3)I discovered that I was indeed an alcoholic on the path of killing myself or possibly killing someone (most likely a stupid broad or a guy that won't stop harassing me) in my drunken rage so I've decided to quit drinking altogether, cold turkey. Woo hoo! It sucks but I know it'll be worth it in the end.

4)I figure since I'm not drinking, I should eat better and exercise. Not being able to indulge in comfort food when upset...well, it's not pretty. And people say that exercising make you happy. No, not this girl. Perhaps it's the combination of everything (no drinking, dieting, exercising and no naughty food) but I transformed into an uber bitch. Thus, the writing is affected as well. Ever see a rant last a page or two. Yeah, not pretty.

5)My drive to write comes and goes, like for most people. It's back; let's see for how long.

6)Well...I don't have any more...I can make some up if you'd like.

I hope everyone forgives me and I really hope no one have given up on this story. I am doing this for everyone that wants to see this to the end and I will finish this...someday.

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**Slaughter Part 3**

**By therapist**

Pietro rolled his shoulders, hearing them pop from disuse. He's been with his father for several days, yet, today would be their first training day. He was excited to work out the kinks in his body as well as his anger.

He glanced at Emma, who stood by his father's side. Her face remained stoic as she watched everyone prep for his or her training session. Her eyes turned and met his. He could see the fire and challenge in her eyes. He knew who she planned to spar with first. He sent her a sneer before resuming stretching.

Their eclectic group had grown into a full army. Pietro counted over fifty mutants in this locker not including their new additions sleeping in their rooms. Yet, he didn't feel nervous like his comrades. Unlike everyone else, he had an advantage. He knew this was more than a mere training session. This was much bigger, much more important than that. Today's training session would separate the weak from the worthy. His father would choose who would be in his Acolytes and who are to be nothing more than pawns.

He scoffed as gauged his competition. Most were simply braggarts, showing off to one another, giving away their advantage. He watched everyone, gathering hint, clues, anything to help him.

Magneto cleared his throat, silencing the room instantly. All eyes fell upon their leader. "Everyone is to gather in the gym, there Emma will instruct you on what to do," he ordered. He nodded, dismissing them. Magneto watched as his followers, filed out, not before bowing to him with their hands over their hearts. Magneto made sure that all did this as a reminder of the oath they took. To follow him until that heart under their hand stopped beating.

Pietro lingered back, wanting to speak to him before he started. As the last person left, he approached his father. Emma stepped in his path, blocking the way.

"I just need to speak to my father," he stated calmly. He could feel his anger start to bubble within him. She didn't move and responded by giving him a defiant glare. He curled his fist and tried to count to ten.

At four, his father finally spoke up. "What is it?" he barked. Before, that tone would make his tail curl between his legs but his need to feed his habit was far greater than any fear he carried for his father. He cared only about one thing.

Emma stepped aside and resumed her place by his side. His father bared an impatient look as Pietro struggled to word his request. "Well? Spit it out!" he snarled.

"I need more stuff," he blurted out. "I ran out last night and I _need_ more."

"How sad Pietro. Do you really need drugs to make you happy?" Emma tittered. She giggled as her comment riled him up and decided to continue to push his buttons. "It's quite depressing really," she remarked as she circled around him. "How the _weak_ are quickly consumed."

He lunged for her, but she had expected it and side stepped him. He swung around and threw his fist. He smiled gleefully as his fist connected with her cheek, shattering something.

Emma howled in pain and threw up her shield, protecting her from any more blows. Before she could retaliate, a door flew between them, blocking and separating them.

"Pietro, get out of here," Magneto quietly commanded.

"But, what abo-"

"Get out!" he yelled. Emma felt a breeze and she assumed he left. She glared up at him, cradling her cheek. Magneto tossed the door aside and motioned for her to lower her hand. Emma lowered her hand and winced as pain flooded her face as he gingerly inspected her injury.

"You should not taunt my son like that," he suggested. "Your jaw is dislocated," he remarked. Pietro's blow wasn't strong, yet it nearly ripped off her jaw. Despite his anger, he couldn't help but feel a small inkling of pride. Magneto gripped it firmly and popped it back into place.

"Son of a bitch!" she cried, tears springing from her eyes. She spat, blood and teeth flying out. Her head was pounding and could feel her control slipping.

Magneto watched amused as various objects around the room began to elevate. Glass shattered, showering him with debris. Doors ripped off their hinges and attacked him. They bounced harmlessly off his shield, slamming into the walls.

"Finished?" he asked. She remained quiet, eyeing him. The air hummed with energy and he smirked at her. "Remember," he said tapping his helmet, "your powers don't affect me. Now if you will stop this tantrum, we have a team to train." With that, he made for the exit, pausing by the door. "You may take it out on them."

XXXXX

Scott shifted in his chair again, even though it was the plushest seat his bottom touched in the past year. The group waited for Magneto in what looked like war room. No one spoke nor looked at each other. Each seemed content on gazing at the table or the ceiling.

Unable to take anymore, Scott pushed back from the table. "We have to talk about this. This is not something we can ignore."

Kitty sighed. She hoped that if she stayed silent, nobody would want to talk about it. Knowing her leader, it was a foolish wish. _Leave it to Scott to __confront his problems head-on._ She gazed at Jean gazing at Scott longingly. _Well, most of his problems..._ "What's there to talk about? We told Magneto our terms and he accepted. What else is there to say?"

Giving her a sharp look, Kitty shut her mouth and set her eyes on the table once more. "I know that Kitty; I was there. What I mean is what are we doing here with our enemy? Have we forgotten what he has done against us? We have fought against him all these years, he spews one speech, and now we're waiting for his orders! Does anyone else think this is insane?"

"If I remember correctly, you were one of the first to shake his hand Summers," Bobby retorted. "Look I don't see what the big deal is. If we don't like what Magneto is doing, he said we don't have to do it."

"Do you really think that he'll keep his word?" Scott looked at his team, incredulously. "You think he'll keep his promise that he made for his former enemies?"

"What will you have us do?" Storm asked. She too had conflicting feelings and doubts. "Go back to our life? We wouldn't have lasted much longer on our own and Lance would have died." Though she did stop most of the bleeding, some of his wounds were starting to smell, not a good sign she knew. Coupled with a fever, she knew he was on the path of dying.

Scott rubbed his temples, his headache growing stronger. Despite his best effort to deny it, he realized that they needed magneto more than he needed them. "I know. I just wish there was another way."

Jean reached for him and he allowed her to rest her hand on top of his. "We all wish it Scott but there is no other way. All we're asking is for you to give him a chance not to forget."

"After everything is resolved, he will answer to the crimes that he committed against us." Storm's eyes darkened. "I will make sure of that."

That fact comforted him and he allowed a small smile to grace his features. Jean returned his smile and he felt the familiar glow fill his chest, a feeling he repressed for so long. For a moment, he looked as his old self, the man she fell in love with. The look of love and hope on her face snapped him out it and the mask came back on.

As if her hand was fire, he wrenched it from hers. She opened her mouth to protest yet a look from him halted her. She swallowed the lump in her throat, tear threatening to spill. The fact that her friends were here kept them at bay. She was embarrassed about her emotional display and she turned back to the table in front of her.

"I trust you worked everything out?" Magneto stepped into the room and looked expectantly at the group, stopping at Scott.

"For now," he answered. Seeing that he was carrying something, he nodded at them. "What do you have planned for us?"

"I promise Miss Pryde the return of her friends. Gambit discovered the base where your friends are and managed to acquire the blueprints of the place."

He spread the blueprint over the table and the group huddled over the map. Scott fell back into 'leader mode' and studied the plans. "You said base, as in military base?" With the numerous levels and hallways, it looked more like a labyrinth than a base.

Magneto's face turned grim and he nodded. "Turns out that the government is more involved than we thought." He pointed to west wing. "This is where they are being kept. Far underground, the tenth level. It's heavily guarded, remember it is a base, so it's best if we tried to avoid detection for as long as possible."

"Couldn't I phase them out?" Kitty asked.

"Each cell is monitored at all times. If they see someone disappear, it will alert the base of our presence. I doubt you can phase more than a few at a time, am I right dear?" She nodded. "By the time she comes back for the next people, they would have every armed person bearing upon us. Also, they would keep the prisoners drugged so don't expect help from them."

Scott absorbed the information, his mind calculating every possibility. "Perhaps Kitty is right." Once he gathered everyone's attention, he continued. "If we want to avoid bloodshed, then we should consider Kitty's idea."

Magneto's eyes darkened. "Who said anything about avoiding bloodshed?"

Scott gave him a hard look. "We do not involve any innocent civilians. Besides, I thought you wanted to avoid detection."

"I did want this to be a covert mission then I thought to myself, why spare the torturers? These people did, God only knows what, to your friends and you're worried about their lives."

The truth rang solidly in his ears. He fought against his anger as it whispered in his mind. "The Professor taught us that anger is the first step on the path to losing yourself. Despite all the wrongs they might have done to us, it's not our call. It's theirs. So, I suggest we consider Kitty's plan."

Magneto agreed. "This is your mission, so I will bow to your wishes. However, if they attack, I will not stay my hand."

Scott was expecting a fight and was surprised when he didn't push the issue. "Fine, now back to the plan. I was thinking about a power outage. Storm, think you can fry the power plant?"

Storm flashed a dangerous smile. "I think I can manage. However, I believe that the bases have their own generators."

"That's why I need Kitty to short out all of them before we enter. No lights, no cameras and no backup. Once their power source is out, Kitty will phase us in."

"Excellent plan but how do you plan on getting us out?" Bobby asked. Scott flashed a smile, one he could only describe as grim.

"Leave that to me."

XXXXX

Emma waited until the last straggler entered before slamming the door shut. Her previous anger had yet to die and she was itching to relieve some of it. She pointed at Pietro; those around him scooted away from him.

"You first," she spat. Everyone pulled against the wall, giving the fighters space. Pietro stepped forward, grinning. "I'd wipe that smirk off boy."

"I think a few more bruises will suit you nicely wench." They began slowly circling each other, sizing the other up.

She scowled then a sneer turned her face ugly. "You know that I practically begged Magneto to allow you on his team. He didn't want his loser son who couldn't do anything right."

Something twisted violently in his chest, making it ache unbearably. He didn't trust her but it sounded like something his father would say. He knew his father didn't hold him in high esteem, nothing he did seemed the please him. Hurt flooded through him but his anger was much stronger.

Her smile switched on a light for him. Spending much time, albeit most of it was forced, he learned of her love of mind games. He decided to turn the tables on her.

"Why should I care what you say? You're just my father's whore." He heard gasps and he smiled as he saw his comment did affect her. The air hummed something dangerous and several pieces of equipment began to float.

"I would choose my next words carefully; they may be your last."

"Why don't you go cry to my father and spread those legs of your. That's all you seem useful for."

A scream of rage escaped her lips. She launched the equipment toward him; he sidestepped each one.

He stopped as she began to laugh haughtily. "At least your father wants me around."

"Bitch!" He disappeared and she threw up her shield in time. His fist collided violently against her shield and before she could retaliate, he was gone. Her eyes caught pieces of him as he zipped around the room. Another fist struck her shield, startling her.

"Why would he want you? You're just a whore to him," he taunted as he launched a flurry of punches. Emma grunted as her shield took all the hits. Though his fists didn't touch her physically, her mind felt each blow.

She caught his body and stilled him. "That may be but at least I'm not a fucking loser."

She launched him to the other wall, making the others jump out of the way. He slammed into the wall and crumpled into a heap on the floor. Before he could recover, she launched the equipment in his direction. Hearing whizzing, he looked up and dashed away before the equipment crashed into the wall, breaking apart.

"He'll toss you aside after he used you up and then you'll be just like me." He zipped to her and began assaulting her shield. His arm was a flurry of motion as he pounded against the invisible wall. He ignored the burn of his muscle, focusing on his anger instead. It fueled him, allowing him to intensify his attacks.

It was taking most of her concentration and power to maintain the shields and she had to remain on the defensive. If she tried to attack, her shield would drop and he would get a few shots before she could do anything.

She dropped her shield and fell to her back, his fist whizzing dangerously close to her face. As he stumbled off balanced, she kicked him. He cried in alarm as he tripped over his legs. She seized the opportunity and lifted the man by the neck.

He kicked his feet wildly as he felt a force lifting my by the neck. Wind became scarce and panic started to kick in. he tried in vain the fight of the invisible assailant but with his strength already dampened, he knew he lost. His legs stilled and he focused on Emma's gleeful face.

"I should fucking kill you now," she spat. He knew she could end his life and that knowledge chilled him. "If you weren't Magneto's spawn..."

The pressure lifted from him and he dropped to the floor. Sweet air filled in lungs as he coughed and gasped. Finally catching his breath, he lifted himself up. Standing in the doorway was his father. His face betrayed no emotion, though his eyes watched him intensely. Unsure, Pietro turned away and lifted himself from the ground.

"I believe that I said you can take it out on the group not just my son," Magneto said. All activity halted and he stood aside as he headed to Emma.

She held no remorse for her action and with her head held high, giving him a defiant glare. "You weren't specific on your terms and last I looked, Pietro is a member of the group." A ripple of fear circulated the group but Emma held her ground.

Magneto admired her spirit. "True I did not. I thought that I was clear on the instructions earlier. A mere child could have followed my orders." He smirked as his comment riled her up. "Perhaps I overestimated your abilities to comprehend simple orders."

Pietro couldn't help but bark in laughter. He received a searing look from Emma, making him laugh harder.

"I would not laugh son." Pietro's laugh died on his lips. "She is your superior, in every aspect and you will show her respect. Is that clear?" Pietro nodded, feeling like a child. "Seeing as no one else trained and we are pressed for time, how about we turn this into a group thing. Me against everyone else." He looked up to see everyone staring at him incredulously. Ignoring them, he began removing his cape.

"Sir, are you serious?" one asked. Magneto ignored him and beckoned his secret weapon to him. He was the smallest member of the group, therefore overlooked by many but not him. He knew the boy was special even before the boy knew it.

He found the boy, caught him trying to break in. Scraggly, dirty and without hope, Eric felt something; perhaps it was an inkling of compassion. Years of oppression and constant fighting did blot out most of his _weaker_ feelings to where he thought they've been repressed forever. Yet, looking at his dirty gaunt face…he saw a reflection of himself.

He decided to take the boy in, not as a member at first, though it was clear he was indeed a mutant. The world had been unkind to him, causing the boy not to trust anyone. It took Eric three days before the boy ate something, three weeks before he granted him his name. Dorian but he preferred his nickname, Leech.

After a month, Eric had the great pleasure of seeing his power, being on the receiving end of it. As he fell to the ground, his metal weights following him, he imagined many powers, small ones to ridiculous ones but he never imagined a power dampener.

The boy wanted to be a part of his team. Before, he would never consider a kid his age, he was only eleven, to be allowed onto his team. He will become a liability, not having the skills or the knowledge to protect him. Yet, he agreed.

Now he was his best-kept secret and soon his followers and all that oppose him will know of him.

Leech gazed at all, as he made his way to Eric's side. This was the first time he was with everyone and he felt frightful. Only when he was next to Eric did he feel safe and the boy relaxed as Eric placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Well, I will have this guy on my side but yes, I am serious." Turning to the boy, he dropped his voice. "Just like when we practiced. Forward and not to the side and I will protect you."

"Okay, I think I can do it." Magneto watched as Leech closed his eyes and he felt a ripple of power pulse from the boy.

Taking it as a cue, Magneto threw some weights toward his son at a low speed. Pietro scoffed at his father's pathetic attack. Waiting until the last moment, Pietro zipped away. Or in his mind, that's what he did. Pietro didn't find himself at the other side of the room, where he should have been. He was still in the path of the flailing machinery, two steps to the left of where he was. Confounded, he tried once again to zoom away and finding his feet moving unbearably slow, very humanlike. The weights landed before his feet, thudding as it slammed into the concrete. He looked to the mutant next to him, Gambit.

Gambit scoffed, drawing his cards. He held the ace of spades up. "I'll take care of dis fo you homme." He tossed the card at Magneto and watched as the card bounced off his chest and fluttered to the ground. "What is dis?" he cried, flinging more cards at Magneto.

"Stop fooling around Gambit! What are you trying to do? Paper cut him to death?" Emma cried. She shoved everyone aside and her hands flew to her temple. She stretched her hand forth. "What the hell…"

"Ow!" Pyro cried, shaking his hand. "Bloody hell that's hot! What's happened to our powers?"

"They're just gone. But how?" Emma cried.

"This boy single handedly defeated one of the most powerful groups of mutants." Everyone focused his or her attention to Leech, who couldn't help but grin nervously. "Thanks to him, you're all dead. Or would be dead, if I really wanted to kill you all. Because of this failure, tomorrow Emma will oversee a training session with no powers with assistance from this young man right here." Earning groans from everyone even Emma.

Normally, Wednesday was the group's days off from training but witnessing this training disaster made him realize that they weren't as ready as he had hoped. Eric smiled at the boy proudly. Within the three weeks of training, Leech had managed to control the shape of his dampening field.

"Good job, my son." Yes, he was turning into a fine protégé.

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Alrighty then. Hurray for finishing it! I'm actually very pleased with this chapter. I've had the first and half of the last part written for months. I could not fit anything in the spaces and this just came to me while I was working out (I suppose it does have its good points).

Please leave a review, I live for them. I won't lie; I am a review whore. So, feed my addiction please! Even if it's a short one like "Awesome" or "You suck", okay, maybe not the last one but you get the point!

Next chapter the rescue mission begins. The team reunites with their fellow teammates and catch up on all that's been happening.

therapist


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